For about as long as search engines have been around, businesses have been looking for ways to ensure that their website lands at the top of search results for the products or services they’re trying to sell. After all, how can you generate business from your website if nobody can find you online? High-quality content boosts a site’s relevance and authority, which increases its chances of ranking high in search results. However, it’s also challenging to keep providing content that’s relevant to what your target audience is looking for. That inescapable fact has given rise to what is a time-honored tradition at this point: trying to find ways to “game” the algorithm quickly and cheaply, like keyword stuffing.
Of course, Google has never sat still for that—they (and other search engines) update their algorithms to ensure that low-quality, sometimes barely readable content produced by SEO “hacks” ends up at the bottom of the heap (or at least pages deep in the search rankings, where nobody’s going to find it). The introduction of generative AI like ChatGPT seemed like an absolute game-changer for businesses in this whack-a-mole online content cycle. Enter a prompt and get an entire, grammatically correct blog article or other text-based content on the topic of your choice in a snap? Yes, please!
Not so fast. The content that large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT put out may feel original, but what they’re doing is pulling together information that is already out there (accurate or not). By definition what they produce is generic, not capable of creating new insights or lending a unique perspective to a topic. And Google is already moving to screen such automated content out of top search results.
On March 5, 2024, Google announced algorithm changes intended to “address emerging tactics that look to game our results with low-quality content,” including improved quality ranking that will “reduce unoriginal content in search results.” Their notice specifically calls out the use of automation to manipulate search rankings. Google’s VP of search, Pandu Nayak, has publicly stated that the company’s measurements indicate the changes should reduce “unhelpful content” by up to 40 percent.
If your website rankings took an unexpected hit last month, this could very well be why, and it’s a red flag that your current content marketing strategy may well be putting your site and your profits at risk. This algorithm change is definitely not going to be the last one targeted at making sure repetitive, derivative AI content ranks below useful content and high-quality websites, either. Now is the time to course-correct, before your rankings slip any further.
Many marketing agencies leapt on the AI content generation bandwagon because it was so easy and cheap, but the aftermath of that decision is predictable. You simply can’t get something of quality for nothing. Google was inevitably going to move against a flood of AI-generated content that has had experts warning that the trend was ruining the internet. And face it—what does that copy-and-paste text from generative AI tell your potential customers about what makes your company stand out from the competition?
Nothing. Distinguishing your competitive advantage, highlighting your unique expertise, and ensuring that your search result goals are aligned with your ideal profit strategy requires the human touch. At Iffel International, we understand how to deploy content marketing to produce tangible results that boost your company’s leads and sales. We also know that AI tools are not a shortcut to building an authentic online presence. Clinging to AI content generation is likely to drag websites to the bottom of search results as Google refines its means of detecting and screening out automated content. But your business doesn’t have to be one that sinks out of sight.
Since our founding, Iffel International has successfully navigated changing technology to ensure our clients have consistent online visibility that helps to grow their business and increase their profits. If you’re struggling to make your website work as an effective tool for your business, we can help. To find out more about how our unique SEO2Sales™ process can benefit you, contact us here today.
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